Bell 206 N1087N

Summary

On 29 July 2016 at about 14:05 local time, a Bell 206 registered N1087N, operated by J.r. Helicopters LLC., was involved in an accident near Outlook, Washington, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 July 2016 at 14:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Outlook, Washington, United States

Coordinates

46.3197, -120.0572

Aircraft

Bell 206

Registration

N1087N

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1980

Engines

1

Operator

J.r. Helicopters LLC.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Buena → Outlook

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA405

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot and ground crew's failure to visually inspect the helicopter's skids before takeoff, which resulted in a water hose becoming entangled on the right skid, a loss of control, an impact with terrain, and a post-crash fire.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of a helicopter performing aerial application reported that his loader laid the water hose across the skids due to the location of the helicopter's fill port and the ground water tank. After the loading was complete, the pilot reported that during takeoff, "the helicopter felt like the skids were dragging through the dirt even though I knew I was at least 5 [feet] above the ground." The pilot further reported that he realized the water hose nozzle had snagged on the helicopter's skid and he attempted to abort the takeoff. As soon as he began the abort, the helicopter nosed down, impacted terrain, and rolled over to the right. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The loader, who also witnessed the accident, reported that this was the last load of the day for this spray location. He further reported that as the helicopter entered a hover, he noticed a hose lying over the right skid and he "waved and screamed" to the pilot, but he had already turned out of view. The loader subsequently observed the "dry lock nozzle" hook onto the right skid and the helicopter "lurched to the right" and impacted terrain. The loader assisted the pilot in an emergency evacuation, as they both observed a post-crash fire. The nearby water truck was empty and the helicopter was destroyed by the post-crash fire.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.